How to stay cyber-secure
By Kevin Rudolph
Everybody wants workflow to be ‘business as usual’. But today’s businesses need to be aware of new threats—cyber threats—that weren’t problems of yesterday. The best way to protect yourself and your business from cyber intrusion is to be proactive about your weaknesses and find ways to mitigate those vulnerabilities. Here are some things that your business should keep front of mind:
Emails
Make sure you do not click on any links or attachments unless you vet them first. Many times, hackers will use emails similar to ones you are familiar with (off by a period or underscore) – so be vigilant. Be especially vigilant when either you, your co-worker or manager is out of the office.
Passwords
Password considerations are important to keep in mind to stay one step ahead of hackers:
- Use different passwords for different accounts so that if one account is compromised it does not mean all accounts are compromised
- Create complex passwords that include letters, numbers and symbols
- Change your password every six months
- Employ two-step authentication
Updates
Make sure you update your programs and applications to the most recent version. Updates will not slow down your programs or applications, like some like to believe, rather it will, among other things, make sure that discovered vulnerabilities are patched.
The Maryland Chamber of Commerce host quarterly best practice seminars on cybersecurity and information technology for small and medium businesses. To learn more about getting involved and sponsorship opportunities please contact Events Manager Marie Rau (mrau@mdchamber.org).
Check out information provided by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Secret Service on keeping your customers, your employees and your business (cyber) safe through these cyber resources.
